2000
#25,272
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 920
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Bhattacharya
An honorific surname given to educated Brahmin priests.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,740 Americans carry the last name Bhattacharya. That puts it at #12,410 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 125,093 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bhattacharya surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bhattacharya with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 125,093
Census rank
#12,410
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,389 bearers of the surname Bhattacharya in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12410th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhattacharya, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bhattacharya
The surname Bhattacharya is of Indian origin, specifically from the Bengali region of the Indian subcontinent. It traces its roots back to the medieval period, around the 11th-13th centuries AD. Bhattacharya is derived from the Sanskrit words "Bhatta," meaning a learned person or a scholar, and "Acharya," meaning a teacher or a preceptor.
This surname was originally associated with learned individuals, particularly those who taught or studied the Vedas, the ancient Hindu scriptures. The Bhattacharyas were revered in Bengal for their scholarly pursuits and their role in preserving and disseminating knowledge through generations.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Bhattacharya surname can be found in the Pala inscriptions of Bengal, dating back to the 8th-12th centuries AD. These inscriptions mention individuals bearing the title "Bhattacharya," indicating their esteemed status as scholars and teachers.
Notable historical figures with the surname Bhattacharya include Krishnaram Bhattacharya (1710-1794), a prominent Bengali poet and playwright who made significant contributions to the literary landscape of Bengal. Another notable name is Brajendranath Bhattacharya (1824-1892), a renowned social reformer and educator who played a pivotal role in the Bengal Renaissance movement.
The illustrious mathematician and astronomer, Radhanath Bhattacharya (1537-1610), is credited with pioneering contributions to the field of mathematics and astronomy in India during the 16th century. His works, such as the Siddhanta Darpana, were highly influential in shaping the development of these disciplines.
Jyotirindranath Bhattacharya (1854-1930) was a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement and a dedicated social worker. He founded the Bhattacharya Academy, one of the earliest educational institutions in Bengal, which played a significant role in promoting education among the underprivileged.
Harinath Bhattacharya (1847-1923) was a revered scholar and philosopher who made notable contributions to the study of Indian philosophy and metaphysics. His work, "Vedanta Paribhasha," is considered a seminal text in the field of Vedanta philosophy.
The Bhattacharya surname has a rich history and has been associated with scholarly pursuits, literary achievements, social reforms, and scientific advancements throughout the centuries in the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bhattacharya
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhattacharya, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bhattacharya bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bhattacharya surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.8% · 2,216
- White3.1% · 75
- Two or more races2.8% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 23
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bhattacharya
Bhattacharya appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#17,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,661
+741 bearers (+80.5%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 8,185 places
2020
#12,410
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,389
+728 bearers (+43.8%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 4,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,272 | 920 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,087 | 1,661 | 0.56 | +741 bearers (+80.5%) | Up 8,185 places |
| 2020 | #12,410 | 2,389 | 0.80 | +728 bearers (+43.8%) | Up 4,677 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bhattacharya surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,087 | #12,410 | 27.4% |
| Count | 1,661 | 2,389 | 43.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.80 | 42.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bhattacharya bearers went from 1,661 to 2,389 (+43.8% change). The surname moved up 4,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,087 to #12,410.
FAQ
Bhattacharya surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bhattacharya?
Name Census estimates that about 2,740 living Americans carry the surname Bhattacharya. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 125,093 residents.
How common is Bhattacharya?
Bhattacharya ranks #12,410 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,389 people with the surname Bhattacharya. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,740), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bhattacharya.
Has Bhattacharya become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bhattacharya went from 1,661 recorded bearers to 2,389. That is an increase of 728 (+43.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,087 to #12,410.
What does the Census say about the background of Bhattacharya?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhattacharya, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bhattacharya in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,216 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bhattacharya appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.8%), White (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bhattacharya (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bhattacharya mean?
An honorific surname given to educated Brahmin priests. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bhattacharya (0.80 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Bhattacharya?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.